EDITEDBY
CHARLESF。HORNE
INTRODUCTION
THESURVIVORSOFTHECHANCELLOR
wasissuedin1875。ShipwrecksoccurinotherofVerne’stales;butthisishisonlystorydevotedwhollytosuchadisaster。Inittheauthorhasgatheredallthetragedy，themystery，andthesufferingpossibletothesea。Allthevari—
ousformsofdisaster，allthepossibilitiesofhorror，thedepthsofshameandagony，areheapedupontheseunhappyvoyagers。Theaccumulationismathematicallycompleteandemotionallyunforgettable。Thetalehaswellbeencalledthe"imperishableepicofshipwreck。"
Theideaofthebookissaidtohaveoriginatedinthecele—
bratedFrenchpaintingbyGericault，"theWreckoftheMedusa，"nowintheLouvregallery。TheMedusawasaFrenchfrigatewreckedoffthecoastofAfricain1816。
Someofthesurvivors，escapingonaraft，wererescuedbyapassingshipaftermanydaysoftorture。Verne，however，seemsalsotohavedrawnupontheterrifyingexperiencesoftheBritishshipSarahSandsin1857，herstorybeingfreshinthepublicmindatthetimehewrote。TheSarahSandscaughtfireofftheAfricancoastwhileonavoyagetoIndiacarryingBritishtroops。Therewasgunpowderaboardli—
abletoblowupatanymoment。Someofitdidindeedex—
plode，tearingahugeholeinthevessel’sside。Astormaddedtotheterror，andthewatersenteringthebreachcausedbytheexplosion，combatedwiththefire。Aftertendaysofdesperatestruggle，thecharredandsinkingvesselreachedaport。
TheextremelengthoflifewhichVerneallowshispeopleintheirstarving，thirstingconditionisprovenpossiblebymedicalscienceandrecent"fasting"’experiments。Thedramaticclimaxofthetalewhereinthecastawaysfindfreshwaterintheoceanisbaseduponafact，oneofthoseoddgeographicalfactsofwhichtheauthormadesuchfrequent，skillfulandinstructiveuse。
"MichaelStrogoff"which，throughitsuseasastageplay，hasbecomeoneofthebestknownbooksofalltheworld，wasfirstpublishedin1876。Itsvivid，powerfulstoryhasmadeitafavoritewitheveryred—bloodedreader。
Itstwowell—drawnfemalecharacters，thecourageoushero—
ine，andthestern，endurant，yearningmother，showhowwellVernecoulddepictthetenderersexwhenhesowilled。
Thoughusuallytherapidmovementandadventureofhisstoriesleavewomeninsubordinateparts。
Astothepicturedrawnin"MichaelStrogoff"ofRussiaandSiberia，itisatonceinstructiveandsympathetic。
Thehorrorsarenotblinkedat，yetneitherisRussianpatri—
otismignored。TheloyaltyofsomeoftheSiberianexilestotheirmothercountryisasideoflifetherewhichistoooftenignoredbywriterswhodwellonlyonthedarkerview。
TheCzar，inourauthor’shands，becomestheherofiguretotheerectionofwhichFrench"heroworship"iseverprone。ThesarcasmsthrownoccasionallyattheBritishnewspapercorrespondentofthestory，showthechangingattitudeofVernetowardEngland，andreflecttheFrenchspiritofhisday。
TheSurvivorsoftheChancellorbyJulesVerneCHAPTERI
THECHANCELLOR
CHARLESTON，September27，1898。——Itishightide，andthreeo’clockintheafternoonwhenweleavetheBatteryquay;theebbcarriesusoffshore，andasCaptainHuntlyhashoistedbothmainandtopsails，thenorth—
erlybreezedrivestheChancellorbrisklyacrossthebay。FortSumtererelongisdoubled，thesweepingbatteriesofthemainlandonourleftaresoonpassed，andbyfouro’clocktherapidcurrentoftheebbingtidehascarriedusthroughtheharbormouth。
Butasyetwehavenotreachedtheopenseawehavestilltothreadourwaythroughthenarrowchannelswhichthesurgehashollowedoutamongstthesand—banks。Thecaptaintakesasouthwestcourse，roundingthelighthouseatthecornerofthefort;thesailsarecloselytrimmed;thelastsandypointissafelycoasted，andatlength，atseveno’clockintheevening，weareoutfreeuponthewideAt—
lantic。
TheChancellorisafinesquare—riggedthree—master，of900tonsburden，andbelongstothewealthyLiverpoolfirmofLairdBrothers。Sheistwoyearsold，issheathedandsecuredwithcopper，herdecksbeingofteak，andthebaseofallhermasts，exceptthemizzen，withalltheirfittings，beingofiron。Sheisregisteredfirstclass，A1，andisnowonherthirdvoyagebetweenCharlestonandLiverpool。AsshewendedherwaythroughthechannelsofCharlestonharbor，itwastheBritishflagthatwasloweredfromhermast—head;butwithoutcolorsatall，nosailorcouldhavehesitatedforamomentintellinghernationality，——forEng—
lishshewas，andnothingbutEnglishfromherwater—lineupwardtothetruckofhermasts。
ImustnowrelatehowithappensthatIhavetakenmypassageonboardtheChancelloronherreturnvoyagetoEngland。
AtpresentthereisnodirectsteamshipservicebetweenSouthCarolinaandGreatBritain，andallwhowishtocrossmustgoeithernorthwardtoNewYorkorsouthwardtoNewOrleans。ItisquitetruethatifIhadchosenastartfromNewYorkImighthavefoundplentyofvesselsbe—
longingtoEnglish，French，orHamburglines，anyofwhichwouldhaveconveyedmebyarapidvoyagetomydestina—
tion;anditisequallytruethatifIhadselectedNewOr—
leansformyembarkationIcouldreadilyhavereachedEuropebyoneofthevesselsoftheNationalSteamNaviga—
tionCompany，whichjointheFrenchtransatlanticlineofColonandAspinwall。Butitwasfatedtobeotherwise。
Oneday，asIwasloiteringabouttheCharlestonquays，myeyelightedonthisvessel。TherewassomethingabouttheChancellorthatpleasedme，andakindofinvoluntaryimpulsetookmeonboard，whereIfoundtheinternalar—
rangementsperfectlycomfortable。Yieldingtotheideathatavoyageinasailingvesselhadcertaincharmsbeyondthetransitinasteamer，andreckoningthatwithwindandwaveinmyfavortherewouldbelittlematerialdifferenceintime;considering，moreover，thatintheselowlatitudestheweatherinearlyautumnisfineandunbroken，Icametomydecision，andproceededforthwithtosecuremypas—
sagebythisroutetoEurope。
HaveIdonerightorwrong？WhetherIshallhaverea—
sontoregretmydeterminationisaproblemtobesolvedinthefuture。However，Iwillbegintorecordtheincidentsofourdailyexperience，dubiousasIfeelwhetherthelinesofmychroniclewilleverfindareader。
CHAPTERII
CREWANDPASSENGERS
SEPTEMBER28。——JohnSilasHuntly，thecaptainoftheChancellor，hasthereputationofbeingamostexperiencednavigatoroftheAtlantic。HeisaScotchmanbybirth，anativeofDundee，andisaboutfiftyyearsofage。Heisofthemiddleheightandslightbuild，andhasasmallhead，whichhehasahabitofholdingalittleoverhisleftshoulder。
Idonotpretendtobemuchofaphysiognomist，butIaminclinedtobelievethatmyfewhours’acquaintancewithourcaptainhasgivenmeconsiderableinsightintohischarac—
ter。ThatheisagoodseamanandthoroughlyunderstandshisdutiesIcouldnotforamomentventuretodeny;butthatheisamanofresolutetemperament，orthathepos—
sessestheamountofcouragethatwouldrenderhim，phy—
sicallyormorally，capableofcopingwithanygreatemer—
gency，IconfessIcannotbelieve。Iobservedacertainheavinessanddejectionabouthiswholecarriage。Hiswaveringglances，thelistlessmotionofhishands，andhisslow，unsteadygait，allseemtometoindicateaweakandsluggishdisposition。Hedoesnotappearasthoughhecouldbeenergeticenoughevertobestubborn;heneverfrowns，setshisteeth，orclencheshisfists。Thereissome—
thingenigmaticalabouthim;however，Ishallstudyhimclosely，anddowhatIcantounderstandthemanwho，ascommanderofavessel，shouldbetothosearoundhim"secondonlytoGod。"
UnlessIamgreatlymistakenthereisanothermanonboardwho，ifcircumstancesshouldrequireit，wouldtakethemoreprominentposition——Imeanthemate。Ihavehitherto，however，hadsolittleopportunityofobservinghischaracter，thatImustdefersayingmoreabouthimatpres—
ent。
Besidesthecaptainandthismate，whosenameisRobertCurtis，ourcrewconsistsofWalter，thelieutenant，theboat—
swain，andfourteensailors，allEnglishorScotch，makingeighteenaltogether，anumberquitesufficientforworkingavesselof900tonsburden。Uptothistimemysoleex—
perienceoftheircapabilitiesis，thatunderthecommandofthemate，theybroughtusskillfullyenoughthroughthenarrowchannelsofCharleston;andIhavenoreasontodoubtthattheyarewelluptotheirwork。
Mylistoftheship’sofficialsisincompleteunlessImen—
tionHobartthestewardandJynxstropthenegrocook。
Inadditiontothese，theChancellorcarrieseightpas—
sengers，includingmyself。Hitherto，thebustleofem—
barkation，thearrangementofcabins，andallthevarietyofpreparationsinseparablefromstartingonavoyageforatleasttwentyorfive—and—twentydayshaveprecludedtheformationofanyacquaintanceships;butthemonotonyofthevoyage，thecloseproximityintowhichwemustbethrown，andthenaturalcuriositytoknowsomethingofeachother’saffairs，willdoubtlessleadusinduetimetoanex—
changeofideas。TwodayshaveelapsedandIhavenotevenseenallthepassengers。Probablysea—sicknesshaspreventedsomeofthemfrommakinganappearanceatthecommontable。Onething，however，Idoknow;namely，thattherearetwoladiesoccupyingthesterncabin，thewin—
dowsofwhichareintheaft—boardofthevessel。
Ihaveseentheship’slist，andsubjoinalistofthepas—
sengers。Theyareasfollows：
Mr。andMrs。Kear，Americans，ofBuffalo。
MissHerbey，ayoungEnglishlady，companiontoMrs。
Kear。
M。LetourneurandhissonAndre，Frenchmen，ofHavre。
WilliamFalsten，aManchesterengineer。
JohnRuby，aCardiffmerchant;andmyself，J。R。Kazal—
lon，ofLondon。
CHAPTERIII
BILLOFLADING
SEPTEMBER29。——CaptainHuntly’sbilloflading，thatistosay，thedocumentthatdescribestheChancellor’scargoandtheconditionsoftransport，iscouchedinthefollowingterms：
BronsfieldandCo。，Agents，Charleston：
I，JohnSilasHuntly，ofDundee，Scotland，commanderoftheshipChancellor，ofabout900tonsburden，nowatCharleston，dopurpose，bytheblessingofGod，attheearli—
estconvenientseason，andbythedirectroute，tosailfortheportofLiverpool，whereIshallobtainmydischarge。I
doherebyacknowledgethatIhavereceivedfromyou，Messrs。BronsfieldandCo。，CommissionAgents，Charles—
ton，andhaveplacedthesameunderthegun—deckoftheaforesaidship，seventeenhundredbalesofcotton，oftheestimatedvalueof26，000L。，allingoodcondition，markedandnumberedasinthemargin;whichgoodsIdoundertaketotransporttoLiverpool，andtheretodeliver，freefrominjury（saveonlysuchinjuryasshallhavebeencausedbythechancesofthesea），toMessrs。LairdBrothers，ortotheirorder，ortotheirrepresentatives，whoshallonduedeliveryofthesaidfreightpaymethesumof2，000L。inclu—
sive，accordingtothecharter—party，anddamagesinaddi—
tion，accordingtotheusagesandcustomsofthesea。
Andforthefulfillmentoftheabovecovenant，Ihavepledgedanddopledgemyperson，myproperty，andmyinterestinthevesselaforesaid，withallitsappurtenances。
Inwitnesswhereof，Ihavesignedthreeagreementsallofthesamepurport，ontheconditionthatwhenthetermsofoneareaccomplished，theothertwoshallbeabsolutelynullandvoid。
GivenatCharleston，September13th，1869。
J。S。HUNTLY。
FromtheforegoingdocumentitwillbeunderstoodthattheChancellorisconveying1，700balesofcottontoLiver—
pool;thattheshippersareBronsfield，ofCharleston，andtheconsigneesareLairdBrothersofLiverpool。Theshipwasconstructedwiththeespecialdesignofcarryingcotton，andtheentirehold，withtheexceptionofaverylimitedspacereservedforpassenger’sluggage，iscloselypackedwiththebales。Theladingwasperformedwiththeutmostcare，eachbalebeingpressedintoitsproperplacebytheaidofscrew—jacks，sothatthewholefreightformsonesolidandcompactmass;notaninchofspaceiswasted，andthevesselisthusmadecapableofcarryingherfullcomplementofcargo。
CHAPTERIV
SOMETHINGABOUTMYFELLOWPASSENGERS
SEPTEMBER30toOctober6。——TheChancellorisarapidsailer，andmorethanamatchformanyavesselofthesamedimensions。Shescudsalongmerrilyinthefreshen—
ingbreeze，leavinginherwake，farastheeyecanreach，alongwhitelineoffoamaswelldefinedasadelicatestripoflacestretcheduponanazureground。
TheAtlanticisnotvisitedbymanygales，andIhaveeveryreasontobelievethattherollingandpitchingofthevesselnolongerincommodeanyofthepassengers，whoareallmoreorlessaccustomedtothesea。Avacantseatatourtableisnowveryrare;wearebeginningtoknowsome—
thingabouteachother，andourdailylife，inconsequence，isbecomingsomewhatlessmonotonous。
M。Letourneur，ourFrenchfellow—passenger，oftenhasachatwithme。Heisafinetallman，aboutfiftyyearsofage，withwhitehairandagrizzlybeard。Tosaythetruth，helooksolderthanhereallyis：hisdroopinghead，hisde—
jectedmanner，andhiseye，everandagainsuffusedwithtears，indicatethatheishauntedbysomedeepandabidingsorrow。Heneverlaughs;herarelyevensmiles，andthenonlyonhisson;hiscountenanceordinarilybearingalookofbitternesstemperedbyaffection，whilehisgeneralex—
pressionisoneofcaressingtenderness。Itexcitesaninvol—
untarycommiserationtolearnthatM。Letourneuriscon—
suminghimselfbyexaggeratedreproachesonaccountoftheinfirmityofanafflictedson。
AndreLetourneurisabouttwentyyearsofage，withagentle，interestingcountenance，but，totheirrepressiblegriefofhisfather，isahopelesscripple。Hisleftlegismiserablydeformed，andheisquiteunabletowalkwithouttheassistanceofastick。Itisobviousthatthefather’slifeisboundupwiththatofhisson;hisdevotionisunceas—
ing;everythought，everyglanceisforAndre;heseemstoanticipatehismosttriflingwish，watcheshisslightestmove—
ment，andhisarmiseverreadytosupportorotherwiseassistthechildwhosesufferingshemorethanshares。
M。Letourneurseemstohavetakenapeculiarfancytomyself，andconstantlytalksaboutAndre。Thismorning，inthecourseofconversation，Isaid：
"Youhaveagoodson，M。Letourneur。Ihavejustbeentalkingtohim。Heisamostintelligentyoungman。"
"Yes，Mr。Kazallon，"repliedM。Letourneur，brighten—
ingupintoasmile，"hisafflictedframecontainsanoblemind。Heislikehismother，whodiedathisbirth。"
"Heisfullofreverenceandloveforyou，sir，"Ire—
marked。
"Dearboy！"mutteredthefatherhalftohimself。"Ah，Mr。Kazallon，"hecontinued，"youdonotknowwhatitistoafathertohaveasonacripple，beyondhopeofcure。"
"M。Letourneur，"Ianswered，"youtakemorethanyourshareoftheafflictionwhichhasfallenuponyouandyourson。ThatM。Andreisentitledtotheverygreatestcom—
miserationnoonecandeny;butyoushouldremember，thatafterallaphysicalinfirmityisnotsohardtobearasmentalgrief。Now，Ihavewatchedyoursonprettyclosely，andunlessIammuchmistakenthereisnothingthattroubleshimsomuchasthesightofyourownsorrow。"
"ButIneverlethimseeit，"hebrokeinhastily。"Mysolethoughtishowtodiverthim。Ihavediscoveredthat，inspiteofhisphysicalweakness，hedelightsintraveling;
soforthelastfewyearswehavebeenconstantlyonthemove。WefirstwentalloverEurope，andarenowre—
turningfromvisitingtheprincipalplacesintheUnitedStates。Ineverallowedmysontogotocollege，butin—
structedhimentirelymyself，andthesetravels，Ihope，willservetocompletehiseducation。Heisveryintelligent，andhasalivelyimagination，andIamsometimestemptedtohopethatincontemplatingthewondersofnatureheforgetshisowninfirmity。"
"Yes，sir，ofcoursehedoes，"Iassented。
"But，"continuedM。Letourneur，takingmyhand，"al—
though，perhaps，HEmayforget，Icanneverforget。Ah，sir，doyousupposethatAndrecaneverforgivehisparentsforbringinghimintotheworldacripple？"
Theremorseoftheunhappyfatherwasverydistressing，andIwasabouttosayafewkindwordsofsympathywhenAndrehimselfmadehisappearance。M。Letourneurhas—
tenedtowardhimandassistedhimupthefewsteepstepsthatledtothepoop。
AssoonasAndrewascomfortablyseatedononeofthebenches，andhisfatherhadtakenhisplacebyhisside，I
joinedthem，andwefellintoconversationuponordinarytopics，discussingthevariouspointsoftheChancellor，theprobablelengthofthepassage，andthedifferentdetailsofourlifeonboard。IfindthatM。Letourneur’sestimateofCaptainHuntly’scharacterverymuchcoincideswithmyown，andthat，likeme，heisimpressedwiththeman’sun—
decidedmannerandsluggishappearance。Likeme，too，hehasformedaveryfavorableopinionofRobertCurtis，themate，amanofaboutthirtyyearsofage，ofgreatmuscularpower，withaframeandawillthatseemeverreadyforaction。
Whilewewerestilltalkingofhim，Curtishimselfcameondeck，andasIwatchedhismovementsIcouldnothelpbeingstruckwithhisphysicaldevelopment;hiserectandeasycarriage，hisfearlessglanceandslightlycontractedbrowallbetokenamanofenergy，thoroughlyendowedwiththecalmnessandcouragethatareindispensabletothetruesailor。Heseemsakind—heartedfellow，too，andisal—
waysreadytoassistandamuseyoungLetourneur，whoevi—
dentlyenjoyshiscompany。Afterhehadscannedtheweatherandexaminedthetrimofthesails，hejoinedourpartyandproceededtogiveussomeinformationaboutthoseofourfellow—passengerswithwhomatpresentwehavemadebutslightacquaintance。
Mr。Kear，theAmerican，whoisaccompaniedbyhiswife，hasmadealargefortuneinthepetroleumspringsintheUnitedStates。Heisamanofaboutfifty，amostuninter—
estingcompanion，beingoverwhelmedwithasenseofhisownwealthandimportance，andconsequentlysupremelyindifferenttoallaroundhim。Hishandsarealwaysinhispockets，andthechinkofmoneyseemstofollowhimwhereverhegoes。Vainandconceited，afoolaswellasanegotist，hestrutsaboutlikeapeacockshowingitsplumage，andtoborrowthewordsofthephysiognomistGratiolet，"ilseflaire，ilsesavoure，ilsegoute。"Whyheshouldhavetakenhispassageonboardameremerchantvesselinsteadofenjoyingtheluxuriesofatransatlanticsteamer，Iamaltogetheratalosstoexplain。
Thewifeisaninsignificant，insipidwoman，ofaboutfortyyearsofage。Sheneverreads，nevertalks，andI
believeIamnotwronginsaying，neverthinks。Sheseemstolookwithoutseeing，andlistenwithouthearing，andhersoleoccupationconsistsingivingherorderstohercom—
panion，MissHerbey，ayoungEnglishgirlofabouttwenty。
MissHerbeyisextremelypretty。Hercomplexionisfairandhereyesdeepblue，whileherpleasingcountenanceisaltogetherfreefromthatinsignificanceoffeaturewhichisnotunfrequentlyallegedtobecharacteristicofEnglishbeauty。Hermouthwouldbecharmingifsheeversmiled，but，exposedassheistotheridiculouswhimsandfanciesofacapriciousmistress，herlipsrarelyrelaxfromtheirordinarygraveexpression。Yet，humiliatingasherposi—
tionmustbe，sheneveruttersawordofopencomplaint，butquietlyandgracefullyperformsherduties，acceptingwithoutamurmurthepaltrysalarywhichthebumptiouspetroleum—merchantcondescendstoallowher。
TheManchesterengineer，WilliamFalsten，lookslikeathoroughEnglishman。HehasthemanagementofsomeextensivehydraulicworksinSouthCarolina，andisnowonhiswaytoEuropetoobtainsomeimprovedapparatus，andmoreespeciallytovisittheminesworkedbycentrifugalforce，belongingtothefirmofMessrs。Cail。Heisforty—
fiveyearsofage，withallhisinterestssoentirelyabsorbedbyhismachinerythatheseemstohaveneitherathoughtnoracarebeyondhismechanicalcalculations。Oncelethimengageyouinconversation，andthereisnochanceofescape;youhavenohelpforitbuttolistenaspatientlyasyoucanuntilhehascompletedtheexplanationofhisdesigns。
Thelastofourfellow—passengers，Mr。Ruby，isthetypeofavulgartradesman。Withoutanyoriginalityormagnanimityinhiscomposition，hehasspenttwentyyearsofhislifeinmerebuyingandselling，andashehasgener—
allycontrivedtodobusinessataprofit，hehasrealizedaconsiderablefortune。Whatheisgoingtodowiththemoney，hedoesnotseemabletosay：hisideasdonotgobeyondretailtrade，hismindhavingbeensolongclosedtoallotherimpressionsthatitappearsincapableofthoughtorreflectiononanysubjectbesides。Pascalsays，"L’hommeestvisiblementfaitpourpenser。C’esttoutesadigniteettoutsonmerite;"buttoMr。Rubythephraseseemsaltogetherinapplicable。
CHAPTERV
ANUNUSUALROUTE
OCTOBER7。——ThisisthetenthdaysinceweleftCharles—
ton，andIshouldthinkourprogresshasbeenveryrapid。
RobertCurtis，themate，withwhomIcontinuetohavemanyafriendlychat，informedmethatwecouldnotbefarofftheBermudas;theship’sbearings，hesaid，werelat。
32deg。20’N。andlong。64deg。50’W。sothathehadeveryreasontobelievethatweshouldsightSt。George’sIslandbeforenight。
"TheBermudas！"Iexclaimed。"ButhowisitweareofftheBermudas？Ishouldhavethoughtthatavesselsail—
ingfromCharlestontoLiverpool，wouldhavekeptnorth—
ward，andhavefollowedthetrackoftheGulfStream。"
"Yes，indeed，sir，"repliedCurtis，"thatistheusualcourse;butyouseethatthistimethecaptainhasn’tchosentotakeit。"
"Butwhynot？"Ipersisted。
"That’snotformetosay，sir;heordereduseastward，andeastwardwego。"
"Haven’tyoucalledhisattentiontoit？"Iinquired。
Curtisacknowledgedthathehadalreadypointedoutwhatanunusualroutetheyweretaking，butthatthecap—
tainhadsaidthathewasquiteawarewhathewasabout。
Thematemadenofurtherremark;buttheknitofhisbrow，ashepassedhishandmechanicallyacrosshisforehead，mademefancythathewasinclinedtospeakoutmorestrongly。
"Allverywell，Curtis，"Isaid，"butIdon’tknowwhattothinkabouttryingnewroutes。Hereweareatthe7thofOctober，andifwearetoreachEuropebeforethebadweathersetsin，Ishouldsupposethereisnotadaytobelost。"
"Right，sir，quiteright;thereisnotadaytobelost。"
Struckbyhismanner，Iventuredtoadd，"Doyoumind，Curtis，givingmeyourhonestopinionofCaptainHuntly？"
Hehesitatedamoment，andthenrepliedshortly，"Heismycaptain，sir。"
Thisevasiveanswerofcourseputanendtoanyfurtherinterrogationonmypart。
Curtiswasnotmistaken。Ataboutthreeo’clockthelook—outmansungoutthattherewaslandtowindward，anddescriedwhatseemedasifitmightbealineofsmokeinthenortheasthorizon。Atsix，IwentondeckwithM。
Letourneurandhisson，andwecouldthendistinctlymakeoutthelowgroupoftheBermudas，encircledbytheirformidablechainofbreakers。
"There，"saidAndreLetourneurtome，aswestoodgaz—
ingatthedistantland，"thereliestheenchantedarchipel—
ago，sungbyyourpoetMoore。TheexileWaller，too，aslongagoas1643，wroteanenthusiasticpanegyricontheislands，andIhavebeentoldthatatonetimeEnglishladieswouldwearnootherbonnetsthansuchasweremadeoftheleavesoftheBermudapalm。"
"Yes，"Ireplied，"theBermudaswerealltherageintheseventeenthcentury，althoughlatterlytheyhavefallenintocomparativeoblivion。"
"Butletmetellyou，M。Andre，"interposedCurtis，whohadasusualjoinedourparty，"thatalthoughpoetsmayrave，andbeasenthusiasticastheylikeabouttheseislands，sailorswilltelladifferenttale。Thehiddenreefsthatlieinasemicircleabouttwoorthreeleaguesfromshoremaketheattempttolandaverydangerouspieceofbusiness。
Andanotherthing，Iknow。Letthenativesboastastheywillabouttheirsplendidclimate，theyarevisitedbythemostfrightfulhurricanes。Theygetthefag—endofthestormsthatrageovertheAntilles;andthefag—endofastormislikethetailofawhale;it’sjustthestrongestbitofit。Idon’tthinkyou’llfindasailorlisteningmuchtoyourpoets——yourMoores，andyourWallers。"
"Nodoubtyouareright，Mr。Curtis，"saidAndre，smil—
ing，"butpoetsarelikeproverbs;youcanalwaysfindonetocontradictanother。AlthoughWallerandMoorehavechosentosingthepraisesoftheBermudas，ithasbeensup—
posedthatShakspearewasdepictingthemintheterriblescenesthatarefoundin’TheTempest。’"
Imaymentionthattherewasnotanotherofourfellow—
passengerswhotookthetroubletocomeondeckandgiveaglanceatthisstrangeclusterofislands。MissHerbey，itistrue，wasmakinganattempttojoinus，butshehadbarelyreachedthepoop，whenMrs。Kear’slanguidvoicewasheardrecallingherforsometriflingservicetoherside。
CHAPTERVI
THESARGASSOSEA
OCTOBER8toOctober13。——Thewindisblowinghardfromthenortheast，andtheChancellor，underlow—reefedtop—sailandfore—sail，andlaboringagainstaheavysea，hasbeenobligedtobebroughtahull。Thejoistsandgirdersallcreakagainuntilone’steetharesetonedge。Iamtheonlypassengernotremainingbelow;butIpreferbeingondecknotwithstandingthedrivingrain，fineasdust，whichpenetratestotheveryskin。Wehavebeendrivenalonginthisfashionforthebestpartoftwodays;the"stiffishbreeze"hasgraduallyfreshenedinto"agale";thetop—
gallantshavebeenlowered，and，asIwrite，thewindisblowingwithavelocityoffiftyorsixtymilesanhour。Al—
thoughtheChancellorhasmanygoodpoints，herdriftisconsiderable，andwehavebeencarriedfartothesouth;wecanonlyguessatourpreciseposition，asthecloudyat—
mosphereentirelyprecludesusfromtakingthesun’salti—
tude。
Allalong，throughoutthisperiod，myfellow—passengersaretotallyignorantoftheextraordinarycoursethatwearetaking。Englandliestothenortheast，yetwearesailingdirectlysoutheast，andRobertCurtisownsthatheisquitebe—
wildered;hecannotcomprehendwhythecaptain，eversincethisnortheasterlygalehasbeenblowing，shouldpersistinallowingtheshiptodrivetothesouth，insteadoftackingtothenorthwestuntilshegetsintobetterquarters。
IwasalonewithRobertCurtisto—dayuponthepoop，andcouldnothelpsayingtohim，"Curtis，isyourcaptainmad？"
"Perhaps，sir，ImightbeallowedtoaskwhatYOUthinkuponthatmatter，"washiscautiousreply。
"Well，tosaythetruth，"Ianswered。"Icanhardlytell;
butIconfessthereiseverynowandthenawanderinginhiseye，andanoddlookonhisfacethatIdonotlike。
Haveyoueversailedwithhimbefore？"
"No;thisisourfirstvoyagetogether。AgainlastnightIspoketohimabouttherouteweweretaking，butheonlysaidheknewallaboutit，andthatitwasallright。"
"WhatdoLieutenantWalterandyourboatswainthinkofitall？"Iinquired。
"Think;why，theythinkjustthesameasIdo，"repliedthemate;"butifthecaptainchoosestotaketheshiptoChinaweshouldobeyhisorders。"
"Butsurely，"Iexclaimed，"theremustbesomelimittoyourobedience！Supposethemanisactuallymad，whatthen？"
"Ifheshouldbemadenough，Mr。Kazallon，tobringthevesselintoanyrealdanger，Ishallknowwhattodo。"
WiththisassuranceIamforcedtobecontent。Matters，however，havetakenadifferentturntowhatIbargainedforwhenItookmypassageonboardtheChancellor。Theweatherhasbecomeworseandworse。AsIhavealreadysaid，theshipunderherlargelow—reefedtop—sailandforestay—sailhasbeenbroughtahull，thatistosay，shecopesdirectlywiththewind，bypresentingherbroadbowstothesea;andsowegoonstilldrift，drift，continuallytothesouth。
Howsoutherlyourcoursehasbeenisveryapparent;foruponthenightofthe11thwefairlyentereduponthatpor—
tionoftheAtlanticwhichisknownastheSargassoSea。
Anextensivetractofwateristhis，inclosedbythewarmcurrentoftheGulfStream，andthicklycoveredwiththewrack，calledbytheSpaniards"sargasso，"theabundanceofwhichsoseriouslyimpededtheprogressofColumbus’svesselonhisfirstvoyage。
EachmorningatdaybreaktheAtlantichaspresentedanaspectsoremarkable，thatatmysolicitation，M。Letourneurandhissonhaveventuredupondecktowitnesstheunusualspectacle。Thesquallygustsmakethemetalshroudsvibratelikeharp—strings;andunlesswewereonourguardtokeepourclotheswrappedtightlytous，theywouldhavebeentornoffourbacksinshreds。Thescenepresentedtooureyesisoneofstrangestinterest。Thesea，carpetedthicklywithmassesofprolificfucus，isavastunbrokenplainofvegetation，throughwhichthevesselmakesherwayasaplow。Longstripsofseaweedcaughtupbythewindbecomeentangledintherigging，andhangbetweenthemastsinfestoonsofverdure;whileothers，varyingfromtwotothreehundredfeetinlength，twinethemselvesuptotheverymast—head，fromwhencetheyfloatlikestreamingpennants。Formanyhoursnow，theChancellorhasbeencontendingwiththisformidableaccumulationofalgae;hermastsarecircledwithhydrophytes;herriggingiswreathedeverywherewithcreepers，fantasticastheuntrammeledten—
drilsofavine，andassheworksherarduouscourse，therearetimeswhenIcanonlycomparehertoananimatedgroveofverduremakingitsmysteriouswayoversomeillimitableprairie。
CHAPTERVII
VOICESINTHENIGHT
OCTOBER14。——Atlastwearefreefromtheseaofvegeta—
tion，theboisterousgalehasmoderatedintoasteadybreeze，thesunisshiningbrightly，theweatheriswarmandgenial，andthus，tworeefsinhertop—sails，brisklyandmerrilysailstheChancellor。
Underconditionssofavorable，wehavebeenabletotaketheship’sbearings：ourlatitude，wefind，is21deg。33’N。，ourlongitude，50deg。17’W。
IncomprehensiblealtogetheristheconductofCaptainHuntly。Hereweare，alreadymorethantendegreessouthofthepointfromwhichwestarted，andyetstillweareper—
sistentlyfollowingasoutheasterlycourse！Icannotbringmyselftotheconclusionthatthemanismad。Ihavehadvariousconversationswithhim：hehasalwaysspokenrationallyandsensibly。Heshowsnotokensofinsanity。
Perhapshiscaseisoneofthoseinwhichinsanityispartial，andwherethemaniaisofacharacterwhichextendsonlytothemattersconnectedwithhisprofession。Yetitisun—
accountable。
IcangetnothingoutofCurtis;helistenscoldlywhen—
everIalludetothesubject，andonlyrepeatswhathehassaidbefore，thatnothingshortofanovertactofmadnessonthepartofthecaptaincouldinducehimtosupersedethecaptain’sauthority，andthattheimminentperiloftheshipcouldalonejustifyhimintakingsodecidedameasure。
LasteveningIwenttomycabinabouteighto’clock，andafteranhour’sreadingbythelightofmycabin—lamp，I
retiredtomyberthandwassoonasleep。SomehourslaterIwasarousedbyanunaccustomednoiseondeck。Therewereheavyfootstepshurryingtoandfro，andthevoicesofthemenwereloudandeager，asifthecrewwereagitatedbysomestrangedisturbance。Myfirstimpressionwas，thatsometackinghadbeenorderedwhichrendereditneedfultofathomtheyards;butthevesselcontinuingtolietostar—
boardconvincedmethatthiswasnottheoriginofthecom—
motion。Iwascurioustoknowthetruth，andmadeallhasteIcouldtogoondeck;butbeforeIwasready，thenoisehadceased。IheardCaptainHuntlyreturntohiscabin，andaccordinglyIretiredagaintomyownberth。
Whatevermayhavebeenthemeaningofthemaneuver，I
cannottell;itdidnotseemtoresultinanyimprovementintheship’space;stillitmustbeownedtherewasnotmuchwindtospeedusalong。
Atsixo’clockthismorningImountedthepoopandmadeaskeenascrutinyasIcouldofeverythingonboard。
Everythingappearedasusual。TheChancellorwasrun—
ningonthelarboardtack，andcarriedlow—sails，top—sails，andgallant—sails。Wellbracedshewas;andunderafresh，butnotuneasybreeze，wasmakingnolessthanelevenknotsanhour。
ShortlyafterwardM。LetourneurandAndrecameondeck。Theyoungmanenjoyedtheearlymorningair，ladenwithitsbrinyfragrance，andIassistedhimtomountthepoop。Inanswertomyinquiryastowhethertheyhadbeendisturbedbyanybustleinthenight，Andrerepliedthathedidnotwakeatall，andhadheardnothing。
"Iamglad，myboy，"saidthefather，"thatyouhavesleptsosoundly。IheardthenoiseofwhichMr。Kazallonspeaks。Itmusthavebeenaboutthreeo’clockthismorning，anditseemedtomeasthoughtheywereshouting。I
thoughtIheardthemsay;’Here，quick，looktothehatches！’butasnobodywascalledup，Ipresumedthatnothingseriouswasthematter。"
AshespokeIcastmyeyeatthepanel—slides，whichforeandaftofthemain—mastopenintothehold。Theyseemedtobeallcloseasusual，butInowobservedforthefirsttimethattheywerecoveredwithheavytarpauling。Wonderinginmyownmindwhatcouldbethereasonfortheseex—
traprecautionsIdidnotsayanythingtoM。Letourneur，butdeterminedtowaituntilthemateshouldcomeonwatch，whenhewoulddoubtlessgiveme，Ithought，anexplanationofthemystery。
Thesunrosegloriously，witheverypromiseofafinedryday。Thewaningmoonwasyetabovethewesternhorizon，forasitstillwantsthreedaystoherlastquartershedoesnotsetuntil10：57A。M。Onconsultingmyal—
manac，Ifindthattherewillbeanewmoononthe24th，andthatonthatday，littleasitmayaffectushereinmid—
ocean，thephenomenonofthehighsygyziantideswilltakeplaceontheshoresofeverycontinentandisland。
AtthebreakfasthourM。LetourneurandAndrewentbelowforacupoftea，andIremainedonthepoopalone。
AsIexpected，Curtisappeared，thathemightrelieveLieu—
tenantWalterofthewatch。Iadvancedtomeethim，butbe—
foreheevenwishedmegoodmorning，Isawhimcastaquickandsearchingglanceuponthedeck，andthen，withaslightlycontractedbrow，proceedtoexaminethestateoftheweatherandthetrimofthesails。
"WhereisCaptainHuntly？"hesaidtoWalter。
"Ihaveseennothingofhim，"answeredthelieutenant;
"isthereanythingfreshup？"
"Nothingwhatever，"wasthecurtreply。
Theythenconversedforafewmomentsinanundertone，andIcouldseethatWalterbyhisgesturegaveanegativeanswertosomequestionwhichthematehadaskedhim。
"Sendmetheboatswain，Walter，"saidCurtisaloudasthelieutenantmovedaway。
Theboatswainimmediatelyappeared，andanothercon—
versationwascarriedoninwhispers。ThemanrepeatedlyshookhisheadasherepliedtoCurtis’sinquiries，andthen，inobediencetoorders，calledthemenwhowereonwatch，andmadethemplentifullywaterthetarpaulingthatcoveredthegreathatchway。
CurioustofathomthemysteryIwentuptoCurtisandbegantotalkwithhimuponordinarytopics，hopingthathewouldhimselfintroducethesubjectthatwasuppermostinmymind;finding，however，thathedidnotalludetoit，I
askedhimpointblank：
"Whatwasthematterinthenight，Curtis？"
Helookedatmesteadily，butmadenoreply。
"Whatwasit？"Irepeated。"M。Letourneurandmy—
selfwerebothofusdisturbedbyaveryunusualcommotionoverhead。"
"Oh，amerenothing，"hesaidatlength;"themanatthehelmhadmadeafalsemove，andwehadtopipehandstobracetheshipabit;butitwassoonallputtorights。Itwasnothing，nothingatall。"
Isaidnomore;butIcannotresisttheimpressionthatRobertCurtishasnotactedwithmeinhisusualstraight—
forwardmanner。
CHAPTERVIII
FIREONBOARD
OCTOBER15toOctober18。——Thewindisstillinthenortheast。ThereisnochangeintheChancellor’scourse，andtoanunprejudicedeyeallwouldappeartobegoingonasusual。ButIhaveanuneasyconsciousnessthatsome—
thingisnotquiteright。Whyshouldthehatchwaysbesohermeticallyclosedasthoughamutinouscrewwasim—
prisonedbetweendecks？Icannothelpthinkingtoothatthereissomethinginthesailorssoconstantlystandingingroupsandbreakingofftheirtalksosuddenlywheneverweapproach;andseveraltimesIhavecaughttheword"hatches"whicharrestedM。Letourneur’sattentiononthenightofthedisturbance。
Onthe15th，whileIwaswalkingontheforecastle，Iover—
heardoneofthesailors，amannamedOwen，saytohismates：
"NowIjustgiveyouallwarningthatIamnotgoingtowaituntilthelastminute。Everyoneforhimself，sayI。"
"Why，whatdoyoumeantodo？"askedJynxstrop，thecook。
"Pshaw！"saidOwen，"doyousupposethatlongboatswereonlymadeforporpoises？"
Somethingatthatmomentoccurredtointerruptthecon—
versation，andIheardnomore。Itoccurredtomewhethertherewasnotsomeconspiracyamongthecrew，ofwhichprobablyCurtishadalreadydetectedthesymptoms。Iamquiteawarethatsomesailorsaremostrebelliouslydisposed，andrequiredtoberuledwitharodofiron。
Yesterdayandto—dayIhaveobservedCurtisremonstrat—
ingsomewhatvehementlywithCaptainHuntly，butthereisnoobviousresultarisingfromtheirinterviews;thecap—
tainapparentlybeingbentuponsomepurpose，ofwhichitisonlytoomanifestthatthematedecidedlydisapproves。
CaptainHuntlyisundoubtedlylaboringunderstrongnervousexcitement;andM。Letourneurhasmorethanonceremarkedhowsilenthehasbecomeatmeal—times;foral—
thoughCurtiscontinuallyendeavorstostartsomesubjectofgeneralinterest，yetneitherMr。Falsten，Mr。Kear，norMr。Rubyarethementotakeitup，andconsequentlytheconversationflagshopelessly，andsoondrops。Thepas—
sengerstooarenow，withgoodcause，beginningtomurmuratthelengthofthevoyage，andMr。Kear，whoconsidersthattheveryelementsoughttoyieldtohisconvenience，letsthecaptainknowbyhisconsequentialandhaughtymannerthatheholdshimresponsibleforthedelay。
Duringthecourseofyesterdaythemategaverepeatedordersforthedecktobewateredagainandagain，andal—
thoughasageneralrulethisisabusinesswhichisdone，onceforall，intheearlymorning，thecrewdidnotutterawordofcomplaintattheadditionalworkthusimposeduponthem。
Thetarpaulinsonthehatcheshavethusbeenkeptcon—
tinuallywet，sothattheircloseandheavytextureisrenderedquiteimpervioustotheair。TheChancellor’spumpsaffordacopioussupplyofwater，sothatIshouldnotsupposethateventhedaintiestandmostluxuriouscraftbelongingtoanaristocraticyachtclubwaseversubjecttoamorethoroughscouring。Itriedtoreconcilemyselftothebeliefthatitwasthehightemperatureofthetropicalregionsuponwhichweareentering，thatrenderedsuchextrasousingsaneces—
sity，andrecalledtomyrecollectionhow，duringthenightofthe13th，Ihadfoundtheatmospherebelowdecksostifling，thatinspiteoftheheavyswellIwasobligedtoopentheportholeofmycabin，onthestarboardside，togetabreathofair。
ThismorningatdaybreakIwentondeck。Thesunhadscarcelyrisen，andtheairwasfreshandcool，instrangecon—
trasttotheheatwhichbelowthepoophadbeenquiteop—
pressive。Thesailorsasusualwerewashingthedeck。A
greatsheetofwater，suppliedcontinuouslybythepumps，wasrollingintinywavelets，andescapingnowtostarboard，nowtolarboardthroughthescupper—holes。Afterwatch—
ingthemenforawhileastheyranaboutbare—footed，I
couldnotresistthedesiretojointhem，sotakingoffmyshoesandstockings，Iproceededtodabbleintheflowingwater。
Greatwasmyamazementtofindthedeckperfectlyhottomyfeet！Curtisheardmyexclamationofsurprise，andbe—
foreIcouldputmythoughtsintowords，said：
"Yes！thereisfireonboard！"
CHAPTERIX
CURTISEXPLAINSTHESITUATION
OCTOBER19。——Everything，then，isclear。Theuneas—
inessofthecrew，theirfrequentconferences，Owen’smys—
teriouswords，theconstantscouringsofthedeckandtheoppressiveheatofthecabinswhichhadbeennoticedevenbymyfellow—passengers，allareexplained。
Afterhisgravecommunication，Curtisremainedsilent。
Ishiveredwithathrillofhorror;acalamitythemostter—
riblethatcanbefallavoyagerstaredmeintheface，anditwassomesecondsbeforeIcouldrecoversufficientcom—
posuretoinquirewhenthefirewasfirstdiscovered。
"Sixdaysago，"repliedthemate。
"Sixdaysago！"Iexclaimed;"why，then，itwasthatnight。"
"Yes，"hesaid，interruptingme;"itwasthenightyouheardthedisturbanceupondeck。Themenonwatchno—
ticedaslightsmokeissuingfromthelargehatchwayandimmediatelycalledCaptainHuntlyandmyself。Wefoundbeyondalldoubt，thatthecargowasonfire，andwhatwasworse，thattherewasnopossibilityofgettingattheseatofthecombustion。Whatcouldwedo？Why，wetooktheonlyprecautionthatwaspracticableunderthecircumstances，andresolvedmostcarefullytoexcludeeverybreathofairfrompenetratingintothehold。ForsometimeIhopedthatwehadbeensuccessful。Ithoughtthatthefirewasstifled;
butduringthelastthreedaysthereiseveryreasontomakeusknowthatithasbeengainingstrength。Dowhatwewill，thedeckgetshotterandhotter，andunlessitwerekeptconstantlywet，itwouldbeunbearabletothefeet。ButI
amglad，Mr。Kazallon，"headded;"thatyouhavemadethediscovery。Itisbetterthatyoushouldknowit。"I
listenedinsilence。Iwasnowfullyarousedtothegravityofthesituationandthoroughlycomprehendedhowwewereintheveryfaceofacalamitywhichitseemedthatnohumanpowercouldavert。
"Doyouknowwhathascausedthefire？"Ipresentlyinquired。
"Itprobablyarose，"heanswered，"fromthesponta—
neouscombustionofthecotton。Thecaseisrare，butitisfarfromunknown。Unlessthecottonisperfectlydrywhenitisshipped，itsconfinementinadamporill—ventilatedholdwillsometimescauseittoignite;andIhavenodoubtitisthisthathasbroughtaboutourmisfortune。"
"Butafterall，"Isaid，"thecausemattersverylittle。
Istherenoremedy？Istherenothingtobedone？"
"Nothing，Mr。Kazallon，"hesaid。"AsItoldyoube—
fore，wehaveadoptedtheonlypossiblemeasurewithinourpowertocheckthefire。AtonetimeIthoughtofknock—
ingaholeintheship’stimbersjustonherwater—line，andlettinginjustasmuchwaterasthepumpscouldafterwardgetridofagain;butwefoundthecombustionwasrightinthemiddleofthecargoandthatweshouldbeobligedtofloodtheentireholdbeforewecouldgetattherightplace。
Thatschemeconsequentlywasnogood。Duringthenight，Ihadthedeckboredinvariousplacesandwaterpoureddownthroughtheholes;butthatagainseemedofnouse。
Thereisonlyonethingthatcanbedone;wemustpersevereinexcludingmostcarefullyeverybreathofouterair，sothatperhapstheconflagration，deprivedofoxygen，maysmoulderitselfout。Thatisouronlyhope。"
"But，yousaythefireisincreasing？"
"Yes;andthatshowsthatinspiteofallourcarethereissomeaperturewhichwehavenotbeenabletodiscover，bywhich，somehoworother，airgetsintothehold。"
"Haveyoueverheardofavesselsurvivingsuchcir—
cumstances？"Iasked。
"Yes，Mr。Kazallon，"saidCurtis;"itisnotatallanunusualthingforshipsladenwithcottontoarriveatLiver—
poolorHavrewithaportionoftheircargoconsumed;andI
havemyselfknownmorethanonecaptainrunintoportwithhisdeckscorchinghisveryfeet，andwho，tosavehisvesselandtheremainderofhisfreighthasbeencompelledtoun—
loadwiththeutmostexpedition。But，insuchcases，ofcoursethefirehasbeenmoreorlessundercontrolthrough—
outthevoyage;withus，itisincreasingdaybyday，andI
tellyouIamconvincedthereisanaperturesomewherewhichhasescapedournotice。"
"Butwoulditnotbeadvisableforustoretraceourcourse，andmakeforthenearestland？"
"Perhapsitwould，"heanswered。"WalterandI，andtheboatswain，aregoingtotalkthematteroverseriouslywiththecaptainto—day。But，betweenourselves，Ihavetakentheresponsibilityuponmyself;Ihavealreadychangedthetacktothesouthwest;wearenowstraightbe—
forethewind，andconsequentlywearesailingtowardthecoast。"
"Ineedhardlyask，"Iadded;"whetheranyoftheotherpassengersareatallawareoftheimminentdangerinwhichweareplaced。"
"Noneofthem，"hesaid;"notintheleast;andIhopeyouwillnotenlightenthem。Wedon’twantterrifiedwomenandcowardlymentoaddtoourembarrassment;thecrewareunderorderstokeepastrictsilenceonthesubject。
Silenceisindispensable。"
Ipromisedtokeepthematteraprofoundsecret，asI
fullyenteredintoCurtis’sviewsastotheabsolutenecessityforconcealment。
CHAPTERX
PICRATEOFPOTASHONBOARD
OCTOBER20and21。——TheChancellorisnowcrowdedwithallthecanvasshecancarry，andattimeshertopmaststhreatentosnapwiththepressure。ButCurtisiseveronthealert;heneverleaveshispostbesidethemanatthehelm，andwithoutcompromisingthesafetyofthevessel，hecontrives，bytackingtothebreeze，tourgeheronatherutmostspeed。
Alldaylongonthe20ththepassengerswereassembledonthepoop。Evidentlytheyfoundtheheatofthecabinspainfullyoppressive，andmostofthemlaystretcheduponbenchesandquietlyenjoyedthegentlerollingofthevessel。
Theincreasingheatofthedeckdidnotrevealitselftotheirwell—shodfeet，andtheconstantscouringoftheboardsdidnotexciteanysuspicionintheirtorpidminds。M。
Letourneur，itistrue，didexpresshissurprisethatthecrewofanordinarymerchantvesselshouldbedistinguishedbysuchextraordinarycleanliness;butasIrepliedtohiminaverycasualtone，hepassednofurtherremark。IcouldnothelpregrettingthatIhadgivenCurtismypledgeofsilence，andlongedintenselytocommunicatethemelancholysecrettotheenergeticFrenchman;forattimeswhenIre—
flectupontheeight—and—twentyvictimswhomayprobably，onlytoosoon，beapreytotherelentlessflames，myheartseemsreadytoburst。
Theimportantconsultationbetweencaptain，mate，lieuten—
antandboatswainhastakenplace。Curtishasconfidedtheresulttome。HesaysthatHuntly，thecaptain，iscom—
pletelydemoralized;hehaslostallpowerandenergy;andpracticallyleavesthecommandoftheshiptohim。Itisnowcertainthefireisbeyondcontrol，andthatsoonerorlateritwillburstoutinfullviolence。Thetemperatureofthecrew’squartershasalreadybecomealmostunbearable。
Onesolitaryhoperemains;itisthatwemayreachtheshorebeforethefinalcatastropheoccurs。TheLesserAntillesarethenearestland;andalthoughtheyaresomefiveorsixhundredmilesaway，ifthewindremainsnortheastthereisyetachanceofreachingthemintime。
Carryingroyalsandstudding—sails，theChancellorduringthelastfour—and—twentyhourshasheldasteadycourse。M。
Letourneuristheonlyoneofallthepassengerswhohasre—
markedthechangeoftack;Curtis，however，hassetallspeculationonhispartatrestbytellinghimthathewantedtogetaheadofthewind，andthathewastackingtothewesttocatchafavorablecurrent。
To—day，the21st，allhasgoneonasusual;andasfarastheobservationofthepassengershasreached，theordinaryroutinehasbeenundisturbed。Curtisindulgesthehopeevenyetthatbyexcludingtheairthefiremaybestifledbe—
foreitignitesthegeneralcargo;hehashermeticallyclosedeveryaccessibleaperture，andhaseventakentheprecautionofpluggingtheorificesofthepumps，undertheimpressionthattheirsuction—tubes，runningastheydotothebottomofthehold，maypossiblybechannelsforconveyingsomemoleculesofair。Altogether，heconsidersitagoodsignthatthecombustionhasnotbetrayeditselfbysomeexternalissueofsmoke。
Thedaywouldhavepassedwithoutanyincidentworthrecording，ifIhadnotchancedtooverhearafragmentofaconversationwhichdemonstratedthatoursituation，hithertoprecariousenough，hadnowbecomemostappalling。
AsIwassittingonthepoop，twoofmyfellow—passengers，Falsten，theengineer，andRuby，themerchant，whomIhadobservedtobeoftenincompany，wereengagedinconversa—
tionalmostclosetome。Whattheysaidwasevidentlynotintendedformyhearing，butmyattentionwasdirectedto—
wardthembysomeveryemphaticgesturesofdissatisfactiononthepartofFalsten，andIcouldnotforbearlisteningtowhatfollowed。
"Preposterous！shameful！"exclaimedFalsten;"nothingcouldbemoreimprudent。"
"Pooh！pooh！"repliedRuby，"it’sallright;itisnotthefirsttimeIhavedoneit。"
"Butdon’tyouknowthatanyshockatanytimemightcauseanexplosion？"
"Oh，it’sallproperlysecured，"saidRuby，"tightenough;
Ihavenofearsonthatscore，Mr。Falsten。"
"Butwhy，"askedFalsten，"didyounotinformthecap—
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